Posted on 03/21/2016 7:38:46 AM PDT by xzins
Good point!
I think that is an unacceptable measure, but I guarantee you that if they want to discard all that coal country, I’ll be willing to take it off their hands for free.
After all, there’s no value there, right?
Bingo
Or the guy recently went full retard due to TDS. I think that is a better explanation.
I am no supporter of Perot 2.0 and I really wonder what would happen if he somehow manages to win and things remain pretty much the same...
I will still assert that the last few paragraphs of the second article are absolutely elitist musings that improperly insinuate that Trump’s main support comes from white trash. I differentiate between the plumber, auto mechanic, and general contractor that has some valuable skills and busts their butts 50+ hours a week (working class) and the welfare drawing white trash underclass in Appalachia... Williamson does not.
Williamson does nothing of the sort. His writings are very clear that it is the dysfunctional poor white class that he condemns. BTW, I’m from one of those dysfunctional poor white class communities. I was fortunate to have parents who realized that it was time to move.
I don’t think Williamson is right when he says these communities ‘deserve to die’. That’s too harsh. But the fact remains these communities are dying. The smart ones or those with ambition move away leaving only those who are content with that kind of life. Trump’s tariffs aren’t going to change that.
I think you and I are just going to need to agree to disagree on what we understood as we read that column.
That’s fine with me. I just appreciate the fact that you read the column. If Williamson was writing about the black ghetto, the reaction here would be far different.
I read both and yeah, the self - destruction in the African - American ghetto is completely taboo...
Hell, I think Bernie the Commie even drew some heat for using the WORD ghetto.
I found his January 2014 column well written and needed commentary on the culture. Poignant, even. The most recent one though, well, you know...
Williamson wouldn't be the first guy to use the underclass to attack the White (or Black or Latin) working class.
“I found his January 2014 column well written and needed commentary on the culture. Poignant, even. The most recent one though, well, you know...”
Agree. I think it was a bit of a stretch too. Still, I don’t think it was so bad as to justify some of the comments about it. Saying that Williamson wants the white middle class to die is an even bigger stretch.
Seem like everyone is trying to pound their favorite square peg into a round hole to advance their particular agenda.
There is value in coal country it is very pretty land. I guess that may be another reason that many people stay on. Maybe you can build hunting lodges, fishing camps, bed and breakfasts and other tourist destinations. Maybe you can harvest the timber or mine some other product. But the coal mining jobs and jobs that supported the mining industry are not coming back.
It is my opinion that welfare is poison to these people. I hope you read Williamson’s article “The White Ghetto” Jan, 2014.
I know you don’t believe coal is worthless. Coal powers over a third of US electicity generation in the USA.
Once lost, credibility is very difficult to recover. I won’t read Williamson, just because of who he associates with. My loss, sure, but I really have no concern there.
I know you don’t believe coal is worthless. Coal powers over a third of US electicity generation in the USA. I hear US coal sell well overseas, too.
I’ll take all the free coal land anyone wants to give me.
If the communities were alive when we had pro-American trade policies maybe they'd revive if we put those policies back.
I'd give that a try before condemning AMERICAN towns and AMERICAN workers to DEATH on the theory that they're getting what they deserve.
bkmk
“If the communities were alive when we had pro-American trade policies maybe they’d revive if we put those policies back.”
Communities come and go. Would you have subsidized a community built upon producing buggy whips?
“I’d give that a try before condemning AMERICAN towns and AMERICAN workers to DEATH on the theory that they’re getting what they deserve.”
Sounds good but what price are you willing to pay to save those low paying jobs? Do you really want to see prices od most consumer goods increase by 45% (Trump’s tariff)? That might save some jobs but it would come only at the cost of increasing the cost of living to those who need the low cost goods.
Tariffs are nothing more than an income transfer program. Workers in protected industries get a raise paid for by every other American.
Wouldn’t a better solution be increased education and incentives for those in these dying communities to move to a place with jobs? Williamson noted that jobs were plentiful just a few hours away.
You're assuming we can't manufacture anything here. Once the Chinese tariffs are imposed every businessman with excess production capacity at his plants will rush in to beat that price. And these aren't all low paying jobs. It takes more than line workers to run a factory. Thousands of factories have been closed thanks to open borders trade. All those jobs, from president and managers and engineers down to the workers on the line, will come booming back.
So is it worth it? Hell yes!
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